Lot 407: Newton (Isaac)

Lot 407: Newton (Isaac). The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, Translated into English by Andrew Motte. To which are Added, the Laws of the Moon's Motion, According to Gravity. by Johm Machin, 2 vols., 1st ed., Benjamin Motte, 1729, lacking all engraved diagramatic plates (but supplied as loose photocopies), folding tables to volume II, woodcut vignettes and ornaments, scattered light spotting, previous owner signature erased at head of volume I title, contemporary tree calf, spines a little rubbed, joints cracking, 8vo. Babson Newton 20; Norman 1587. The first edition in English of Principia (1687). "The Principia is generally described as the greatest work in the history of science. Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler had certainly shown the way, but where they described the phenomena they observed, Newton explained the underlying universal laws. The Principia provided the great synthesis of the cosmos, proving finally its physical unity. Newton showed that the important and dramatic aspects of nature that were subject to the universal law of gravitation could be explained, in mathematical terms, within a single physical theory." (PMM 161). (2)
Dominic Winter's Printed Books and Maps Auction October 2015
Wednesday, 14th October 2015
Estimate: £1000-1500